Putter.



G. A. BEES.

PUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 26, I9I4.

uns@

GEORGE A. BEES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PUTTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented rei). as, raie.

Appli-cation filed October 26, 1914. Serial No. 868,619.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. Rans, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Putters, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to that style Aof club coinmonly known as a putter, and has for its object the provision of means to facilitate alining the putter preparatory to striking the ball. In putting a ball, as well understood, it is necessary to aline the putter at right angles to the line which the ball is to take after being struck. This presents difliculties and my invention is an aid to aline the putter at right angles to this line of travel which the ball is to take.

My invention is found of particular benet in familiarize the player with the proper position to choose when putting.

My invention concerns itself with the provision of means which are of a disappearing nature so that it may be used during practice games and so that this instructional device may be collapsed into its disappearing position when playing` regular or match games. In this position the exterior appearance of the putter is exactly the same as if my device were not present.

l will explain one particular form which my invention may take more in detail by referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating the same in which- Figure 1 shows a side view of my improved putter with the device in its operative position; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line a-a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of my improved putter looking at the opposite side to Fig. 1, but showing the device in its collapsed position, with the cover however open, parts being shown in section; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line b-b of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a partial sectional View on line c of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, l show my complete golf club as consisting of the stick or handle portion 1 and the head 2. The head has a striking face 3 which is adapted to engage the ball. My improved directionindicator 4 projects at certain practising the game of golf, thus to times from the opposite face of the head as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 and this direction indicator 4 is designed to be at right angles to any line drawn through the striking surface. It will be apparent then that when the club is to be used it can readily be alined by means of the direction indicator 4 so that the surface 3 may be at right angles to the line which the ball is to take, which line coincides or is parallel to the direction indicator 4.

As stated, the device is of particular importance during practice games and the club should resemble a standard club during a match game so that it is of importance to have the device in a collapsible form whereby the club presents little or no difference over the ordinary club when the device is not to be used. To this end the indicator 4 is pivotally mounted upon a spindle 5 as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, a spring (3 being provided which tends normally to throw the indicator to its operative position as shown in Fig. 4. The indicator 4 is also telescopic in its nature as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 comprising the three telescoping elements 7, Sand 9, the element 9 having a knob l0 to facilitate extension of the indicator. A. groove 11 is provided which can accommodate the indicator when it is in a disappearing position when said indicator is collapsed. The indicator thus to be moved to its disappearing position is collapsed and then rotated in opposition to the spring 6 so that it occupies the groove 11, whereupon the rotatable slide or cover plate 12 (Fig.` 3) may be moved in a contraclockwise direction to close the groove 11, the cover plate being held in position by having a projection 13 spring into place in theJ groove 14. A cutaway portion 15 is provided in the cover plate 12 so that when the indicator is in its operative position as shown in Fig. 4, the cover plate can also move to its closing position to close the groove 11, the opening 15 accommodating the protruding indicator. This locks the indicator in position. It may be said that the spring 6 forces the indicator out to its operative position against the abutment 16, at which time the said indicator is in the proper position to be at right angles to a line of the plane surface 3. When the device is thus in Aits collapsed position it appears eXactly the same as the ordinary golf club and can be used the same as the ordinary golf club. When however it is desired to use the indicator it is at hand, it being merely necessary to open the slide 12, whereupon the spring 6 throws the indicator to its operative position, whereupon the slide 12 is again closed and the club is ready for use.

v From what has been described the nature of my invention will be readily clear, and it will be evident that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from its spirit.

Having however thus described one form which my invention lmay take, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, a collapsible indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion and means for normally holding said indicator in its collapsed position, and means for automatically moving said indicator to its operative position when released.

A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, a collapsible indicator adapted to project when in an operative position on the opposite face of said head portion, a spring tending to move said indicator to its operative position, and means normally to hold said indicator in its collapsed position in opposition to said spring, said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator when in its collapsed position.

3. A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, a collapsible indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion, a spring tending to move said indicator to its operative position, and said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator when in its collapsed position, and a cover plate for said groove adapted to hold said indicator in its operative position against the action of said spring.

4. A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, and a collapsible indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion, said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator' when in its collapsed position, and a cover plate for said groove having means to accommodate the protruding indicator when in its operative position.

5. A putte-r having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, and a collapsible telescopic indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion.

6. A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, and a collapsibletelescopic indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion, said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator when in its collapsed position, and a cover plate for said groove'having means to accommodate the protruding indicator when in its operative position.

T. A putter having a stick and a head portion, said head portion having a striking face, anda collapsible telescopic indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion, said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator when in its collapsed posit-ion, a cover plate t'or said groove having means to accommodate the protruding indicator when in its operative position, and a spring tending to move said indicator to its operative position.

8. A putter having a stick and a head portion, Said head portion having a striking face, and a collapsible telescopic indicator adapted to project when in an operative position from the opposite face of said head portion, said head portion having a groove to accommodate said indicator when in its collapsed position, a cover plate for said groove having means to accommodate the pi otruding indicator when in its operative position, a spring tending to move said indicator to its operative position, andan abutment in said head cooperating with said spring to hold said indicator in its predetermined operative position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of September A. D.,

GEORGE A. REES. iVitnesses MAX WV. ZABEL, HAznL ANN JONES. 

